Spain: Alcala de Henares

Alcala de Henares is central Spain is a historic town famous for its University de Alcala (one of the oldest in Europe established in 1499) with magnificent main facade and many historic buildings, spectacular Alcala Cathedral from the 15th century, Calle Major street with (best-preserved porticoed streets in Spain), 19th-century neo-Mudéjar Laredo Palace, and a house-museum where Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was born in 1547. Alcala de Henares is also known as the City of Storks, due to its large population of white storks that have become a defining feature of the city’s identity – with over 140 breeding pairs! The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.